Pulpwood ejector

ABSTRACT

Log ejector apparatus for throwing pulpwood logs has a wheel and a pair of upstanding carrier or impeller vanes supported for rotation with the wheel and extending generally diametrically across the wheel dividing the wheel into two compartments. A housing encloses the rotatable wheel and is open in a peripheral zone for discharge of logs from the wheel and housing. The housing has an upper inlet opening offset from the wheel axis to provide off-center feeding of logs to a compartment. Supporting webs of the impeller vanes extend downwardly away from the vanes and the direction of their rotation facilitating feeding of the logs to the compartments as the wheel rotates. Logs of commercial pulpwood size (4 feet - 8 feet) and commercial diameter (about 4 inches to 20 inches) at a relatively high rate may be fed to the ejector apparatus and thrown significant distances as from shore well outward to a body of water for delivery to a pulp mill.

United States Patent [1 1 Davidson et al.

[ PULPWOOD EJECTOR [75] inventors: Donald L. Davidson. Kapuskasing;

Donald K. Romanowich, Virgil, both of Ontario, Canada [73] Assignee: Spruce Falls Power and Paper Company Limited [22} Filed: Mar. 12, 1973 [2]] Appl. No.: 340,180

[52] U.S. Cl. 198/128 {5 l] Int. Cl. 865g 31/00 [58] Field of Search 198/128, 6; 221/277; 239/669; 209/l20 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l.55l.97l 9/!925 Shipton l98/6 X 2,766,873 l0/l956 Pillsbury 198/[28 3.155.223 ll/l964 De Buhr l98/l28 3,452,4(10 7/l969 Cope et al. l98/l28 X Primary I:'.\'uminrr--Evon C. Blunk Arxrlsmnl [ituminerDouglas D. Watts Attorney. Agent. or Firm-Kimberly-Clark Corporation Mar. 18, 1975 ABSTRACT Log ejector apparatus for throwing pulpwood logs has a wheel and a pair of upstanding carrier or impeller vanes supported for rotation with the wheel and extending generally diametrically across the wheel dividing the wheel into two compartments. A housing encloses the rotatable wheel and is open in a peripheral zone for discharge of logs from the wheel and housing. The housing has an upper inlet opening offset from the wheel axis to provide off-center feeding of logs to a compartment. Supporting webs of the impeller vanes extend downwardly away from the vanes and the direction of their rotation facilitating feeding of the logs to the compartments as the wheel rotates. Logs of commercial pulpwood size (4 feet 8 feet) and commercial diameter (about 4 inches to 20 inches) at a relatively high rate may be fed to the ejector apparatus and thrown significant distances as from shore well outward to a body of water for delivery to a pulp mill.

1 Claim. 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEB MRI 8 I975 FIG. I

PATENTED 1 8 i975 sumaurq PATENTEB "AR! 81975 saw u or 4 PULPWOOD EJECTOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In logging operations it is common practice to slash or cut tree length wood to relatively short lengths of 4 to 8 feet and to then push this wood from a shore line out onto ice or into a body of water for delivery to a mill. The cut wood is usually moved in quantity by tractors or bulldozers, an operation which results in considerable wood breakage and bark and sawdust residue. This breakage not only is a direct loss economically but the action of the bulldozer also pushes material, including sawdust and wood chips, to the river causing river pollution.

The pulpwood ejector of this invention is beneficial because it eliminates the need for bulldozer operation and a much less destructive action occurs on both the wood itself. the lake or river shore line, and the body of water itself. The ejector apparatus accomplishes these desirable results by throwing the cut logs through the air from a zone adjacent the log feed ofthe ejector apparatus to the ice or body of water. The shore line is, for all practical purposes, untouched. Quite surprisingly, it has been found that the ejector apparatus is not only beneficial in an ecology way but is economically quite feasible. More specifically, the ejector apparatus may be of such a convenient size as to be mobile yet capable of moving logs at a rate such that it is commercially useful.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a preferred embodiment of the invention a wheel or disc serving generally as a rotatable table is provided with a pair of impeller vanes which upstand from the wheel and extend diametrically across the wheel, dividing the wheel into two compartments. The wheel is enclosed circumferentially by a housing which is of a nature to retain logs on the wheel in wheel rotation. that is, of strength and ruggedness to resist the impact of logs urged against the housing under the influence of centrifugal force imparted to the logs by the rotating wheel. The housing has a peripheral opening and logs urged by the rotating wheel are discharged through the opening substantially tangentially. The logs are given such a velocity and momentum into the air space in front of the housing opening that they carry a considerable distance, depending upon the wheel speed and angle of ejection of the logs.

The feed of logs to the rotating wheel is from above the wheel and off-center of the wheel axis. The impeller vanes are backed and rigidly supported by webs secured on the wheel. Each web extends downwardly from an upper portion of a vane rearwardly from the vane into a trailing compartment relative to the vane.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in perspective illustrating a log ejector embodying the invention and in position for the throwing of logs;

FIG. 2 is a view partially in section and with parts broken away illustrating operating components of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a somewhat schematic plan view of the impeller vanes, wheel and enclosing housing of the embodiment of FIG. 1, the tangential arrow indicating the direction of log exit from the equipment;

FIG. 4 is a plan view to a somewhat smaller scale illustrating the feed opening and top of the housing of the embodiment of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are plan views to the approximate scale of FIG. 4 illustrating various positions of the impeller vanes in the operation of the embodiment of FIG.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The pulpwood ejector is designated generally by the numeral 1 in FIG. 1. As shown, logs 2 are being fed in sequence to the ejector and thrown from it to the landing zone 3 which may be a body of ice, or water, or may be, if desired. simply a storage area for the wood. The logs 2 are commonly of 4 feet to 8 feet in length and of about 4 inches to 20 inches diameter. The log length is not a critical factor, it being only important for optimum operation that the ejector be designed to have sufficient space on the rotating wheel to permit the logs to align themselves as they approach the ejection opening of the confining housing.

In the specific embodiment illustrated a belt 4 ofconveyor equipment 5 carries the logs 2 from a tree slasher or cutter (not shown) to a discharge area above the ejector 1. The conveyor equipment 5 is supported in any convenient manner and suitably by pivoted arms 6 which permit adjusting of the conveyor equipment position as to height and angle. Side boards 7 border the belt 4 and provide support for it in known manner. This conveyor equipment may be of a variety of types and for the purposes of this invention is most suitably a component of a mobile unit, for example. associated with a tractor.

The ejector l in the embodiment illustrated is carried on skids 8, and the skids. one forwardly and one rearwardly, carry the frame 9. The frame indicated generally at 9 includes a plurality of shoes 10 and each pair of such shoes, as clearly shown in FIG. 1, supports a cross-piece 11. A beam (l-Beam) 12 extends parallel with the skids rearwardly and provides support for a frame 13 which mounts a circular. suitably stationary, housing 14. The housing 14 is preferably constructed quite ruggedly to withstand the impact of logs thrown against its interior and ribs 15 strengthen the housing. Pivot connections I6 (FIG. I) (disposed in laterally spaced relation and only one of which is shown) be tween the beam 12 and frame 13 provides for pivotal movement of the housing at its rearward side.

Forwardly the frame 13 is pivotally supported at its opposite longitudinal ends and one end pivotal arrangement is shown in FIG. 2. The forward support indicated generally at I7 includes a pair of relatively slidable vertically projecting bars 18.19 retained together in adjusted position lengthwise of the bars by nut and bolt arrangements at 17a. The provision for the adjustment of the combined length of the connection between pivots 20,21 may be made in any known manner as by a pin-inslot structure for the combinations at 170. In any event, it is desirable that provision be made for control ling the tilt of frame 13 and the equipment it carries.

The numeral 22 (FIGS. 2, 5 and 6) designates a central shaft mounted in bearings indicated at 23,24. A hydraulic motor 25 (FIG. 2) carried by frame 13 on its under side drives shaft 22 and is itself powered by pump 26, connecting fluid lines between the pump and motor being indicated at 27,28. The pump 26 is powered by a suitable gas engine 29 (FIGS. l and 2) supported in any convenient manner by frame 9.

A wheel 30 intended to serve as a substantially planar (FIG. 2) rotatable table is welded to shaft 22 for rotation with the shaft. The wheel may be secured with the shaft in any convenient manner for rotation. The wheel 30 also (FIG. 2) is provided to closely approach and be enclosed by the housing 14. The numeral 31 indicates a peripheral spacing between the wheel and housing. The wheel is also strengthened by the inclusion (FIG. 2) of ribs 32 projecting on the underside of the wheel.

impeller vanes 35, two in number (FIG. 3), are carried by shaft 22. project across the wheel 30, and upstand from the wheel. The vanes divide the wheel into two compartments. A support web 33 having angle braces 34 and horizontal braces 36 (FIG. 2) backs each impeller vane 35, and each web is securely fixed to the wheel 30 for rotation with it. The vanes in the operation ofthe ejector engage the wood pulp logs fed to the wheel and urge the logs to wheel speed; the vanes therefore are subject to mechanical wear and suitably are of relatively rugged construction. that is. of steel plate or the like. Each support web 33 trails the vane with which it is associated and depends downwardly from the vane rearwardly into the trailing compartment.

The pulpwood logs are fed to the wheel 30 in the deposit area 38 (indicated in dash lines for convenience, Fit]. 3). the logs being introduced through upper log inlet port 39 (FIGS. 1 and 2) of the housing top formed by spaced bars 40 and l beams 41. The housing top is thus foraminous. permitting free air movement. The deposit area 38 is spaced in the direction of wheel rotation remote from the outlet opening. Accordingly, logs fed to the wheel are readily oriented on the wheel by the rotation of the wheel and engagement by the vanes as the logs move about on the wheel so that projection of the logs is axially of the logs rather than a tumbling.

The housing 14 has a peripheral discharge opening 42 through which logs 2 are ejected. in the embodiment illustrated the discharge opening 42 (FIG. is about 90of the housing circumference. The size of the opening is not critical but should be sufficient to accommodate the exit of the logs from the wheel 30 without binding. Also. the peripheral opening suitably is sufficiently restricted that logs fed to the area or zone 38 will not easily be jolted into the opening.

In a preferred and specific mode of operation. the log ejector is brought into position relative to a source of log supply such as a slasher (not shown) and the accompanying conveyor equipment indicated at 5. The logs will vary somewhat in diameter in the usual operation. for example. between 4 inches and inches. The log length suitably is 4 feet. We have found that under this circumstance the two vane ejector illustrated may suitably have a wheel diameter of about 14 feet and be operated at 84 rpm. By directing the feed of the logs through port 39 from the conveyor belt to provide the logs evenly spaced at about 168 per minute, the unit operated very successfully with only a very minimum of logs about 0.01% of the logs fed tending to bobble out of the machine and failing to reach the desired distance of throw. The very considerable efficiency is con sidered to be attained at least in part due to the tendency of a log in a compartment of suitable spacing on the wheel to align axially in the direction of log movement.

The distance of throw is governed largely by the speed imparted to the logs at discharge opening 42 and the angle of tilt of the wheel 30. In operation the logs are thrown tangentially from the wheel 30 under the influence of centrifugal force and exemplary distances of throw are I60 feet which is entirely suitable for moving logs from a shore line to a body of ice or water.

The ejector will operate with only one vane but the wheel then tends to be unbalanced and the capacity drops to about one-half. that is, in the specific example from about 40 60 cords per hour to Z0 30 cords per hour.

The use of more than two vanes tends to increase the tendency of the wood to bobble between vanes unless the wheel is run quite slowly. This. of course. tends to reduce the flight of the individual logs as the throw becomes more erratic.

With a suitable wheel spacing as described so that each compartment on the wheel is larger than the log length so that the log can orient itself for the throw. the machine performs in a commercially satisfactory manner. The log orientation attained by a log in its movement from the zone 38 to the opening 42 appears to be much as that ofa chord ofthe housing wall Under such circumstances the ejected log is not subject to any significant tumbling action as it enters the air space in front of the opening but moves as shown in FIG. 1.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the specific embodiments thereof except as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A method oftransporting pulpwood logs from one location to another which comprises feeding pulpwood logs in sequence to a rotating wheel on which the logs may move about to become oriented in a desired direction, confining logs on the wheel circumferentially while raising the log speed as the logs orient. moving the logs in the rotation of the wheel to a zone of nonconfinement circumferentially so that the oriented logs eject from the wheel. 

1. A method of transporting pulpwood logs from one location to another which comprises feeding pulpwood logs in sequence to a rotating wheel on which the logs may move about to become oriented in a desired direction, confining logs on the wheel circumferentially while raising the log speed as the logs orient, moving the logs in the rotation of the wheel to a zone of nonconfinement circumferentially so that the oriented logs eject from the wheel. 